Envelope-machine



(No Model.)

E. BAU. ENVI-)LOPE MACHINE.

No. 546,433. Patented sept. 17, 1895.

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EMANUEL BAU, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ENVELOPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,433, dated September 1'?, 1895.

Application filed May 16,1895. Serial No. 549,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, 'EMANUEL RAU, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Euvelope-lllachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applied to envelope-machines of the plunger' class, wherein envelopeblanks are formed in a folding-box. In such machines the plunger forces the envelopeblank into the foldingbox, thus partly folding the four flaps of the envelope, and then flap-folders enter from the sides and complete the folding. In such machines it has heretofore been customary to provide flap-folders to fold down all four flaps of the envelope and to prevent the sealing of the last flap either by omitting to gum it or by not pressing it down completely. An envelope when deliv` ered from such a mechanism has this unsealed flap folded down, and it must be lifted in order to fill the envelope. My improvement is for machines of this class in order to enable them to deliver the envelope with the unsealed flap out straight, or nearly so. By producing envelopes in this form I find that they are much more salable, since the saving in time is considerable, when large quantities are being filled, by reason of the iiaps not having to be first lifted.

ln the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows a vertical section through a folding-box with my improvement, The figure also shows the cooperating mechanism and two envelopeblanks in the course of formation. Fig. 2

shows an envelope which has been formed in the improved folding-box shown in Fig. 1.

These improvements, as here shown, are adapted to envelope-machines of the type known as the Reayf Such a machine is shown in my United StatesPatent No. 518,427, which was issued April 17, 1894.

The folding-box 1 has a square opening at the top of the size of a completed envelope. The blank is brought over the top of the box in the usual Way and forced into it by a plunger 2. This bends the four flaps of the blank at right angles. The plunger is next withdrawn, leaving the partly-folded blank at the bottom of the box with the partlyfolded flaps in position to be engaged by the ap-folde1s,which complete thefolding. There are two side-nap folders, which are not shown, and with my improvement there is only one end-flap folder 3. Since there is no flap-folder at the opposite end, certain modifications have been introduced in the construction of the folding-box at this end to prevent any displacement of the blank on the withdrawal of the plunger. This modification consists mainlyin extending downward the end of the box as a guide for the end of the envelope. The end of the box is not carried entirely down to the bottom,but only to a point Where it forms an edge 5 at a distance from the bottom about equal to the length of the end ilap ofthe envelope. Below the edge the end ofthe box is cut away, so that as soon as the envelope-blank is pushed below it the partly-folded and unsealed tlap can straighten out. In the style of machine which is shown the move ment of the parts is so timed that there will be two envelope-blanks in different stages of formation in the folding-box at the same time. The blank E, whose formation has thus far been traced, lies on top of a previous blank E', tho flaps of which have been previously folded down. Then the blank E thus rests on the blank E', it is kept above the foundation 4 sufficiently to prevent the flap d from clearing` the edge 5 of the end of the foldingbox. The friction caused by this pressure of the ap d against the side of the folding-box co-operates with the friction of the other flaps a, t), and c against the flap-folders and keeps the blank from dropping out when the foundation is lowered to discharge the one beneath. To guard against this blank E being withdrawn with the plunger, a slight recess is provided just above the edge 5, which engages the edge of the flap. While the plunger is withdrawn the flaps a, l?, and c are folded down. When the plunger comes down a second time with the succeeding blank, these flaps are pressed down and sealed. During this operation the blank rests directly on the foundation, and the flap d, coming below the edge 5, straightens out because of the elasticity ofthe paper. The foundation is next lowered to discharge this blank.

2. In an envelope-machine the combination with a plunger, of flap-folders for foldingthe A envelope-flaps which are sealed down, and a folding-'box which is cutaway on the side next to the open flap to form an edge beneath which the nnsealed flap can open and having a recess above t-hc edge, substantially as described.

Signed by ine, in New York city, this lOlll day of May, 1895.

EMANUEL RAU.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. BALCH, HY. H. WHITMAN. 

